A surprising take on the self-help / biz-help genre. While many of the suggestions are a bit cherry-picked, if you need inspiration for big audacious goals and ideas for how to get your followers to come with you into the desert, this may be the book for you.
I especially liked the directions to a restaurant analogy - 1 person gives you every little turn and signpost - but construction detours you and you loose your way. Another person gives a landmark destination - head for the tower with the red blinking light - much easier to navigate to and explore along the way.
I think this way and plan my goals this way. I think others who already have creative, free-thinking tendencies will also enjoy this book. I also think we'll buy this as a gift for people that think and plan differently - mileage may vary with changing hearts and minds!

I liked this one. It stimulated my thinking. Likely will serve as a reminder for some or helpful to those new to the business space, to find a fresh perspective that centers around a concept called “ecosystem innovation” as a way to look at finding solutions.

I would like to thank Greenleaf Book Group | Fast Company Press for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.

<b>The Story</b>
Provides a framework to evaluate leadership and business aspects from multiple points of view.

I enjoyed the review of the tech world. Particularly as it relates to who succeeded in growth, niche, and pivoting.

Gave me a deeper understanding of the verbiage for gaps in my inability to keep up with the changes in terminology over the past 20 years.

A few concepts were a little vague such as differentiating steps to follow, job needs, and a checklist, all essentially saying the same things to me. Tools, people, and process. Being the change, being unique. Take it to the next level. Positive thinking to overcome challenges. Changing perspective. Or at times, seemingly contradictory, in the sense if staying inside the guardrails yet also being disruptive. In their respective context felt less directed at times. For example, embracing AI while recognizing the ecosystem creation in not having the capability or access to grasp what data collection actually entails, to make a more accurate result when using a mathematical model, which is what predictive and generative AI is based off of.

Sometimes was an over simplification of process, namely the example of vaccine manufacturing and delivery as illustrated. The ecosystem proposal basically just adds more parts by gaining insight into the actual pre-existing components from using a magnifying lens, rather than an actual “new” way of doing something. Ended up feeling like a rearrangement of buzzwords and the same thought-to-action approach for this one. Shuffled or reworded then portrayed as a new synthesis of information. Looking at the whole picture and all the players from a zoomed out look, rather than innovation and growth from a few aspects of a problem, which I thought would have been the more valuable piece to focus on.

Though I do see some of the benefit from the suggestions.

Puts big names and international organizations on pedestal, as if someone who has drunk the global utopia Kool-Aid. Not to detract from some of the benefits from a larger body of consensus, big picture, or input from multiple talents, but many that were mentioned are actually not well-received outside of Silicon Valley and the philanthropic subsidiaries they serve, as in the mainstay communities that they set out to serve in the first place. In fact, quite controversial and inflammatory.

Overall though, it’s a positive, motivating read. A nice pace and change from the “harsh reality” and “tough talk” trends we’ve seen over the past 5-8 years.

Instead, this book does a good job along the lines of evaluating your own thinking and approach to problem-solving, then embracing an inviting, practical, and refreshing point-of-view that teaches you to explore the world outside your specialty or niche.

<b>The Writing</b>
Great diagrams. Story illustrations were fun and personable.

I would like to see more from these authors, particularly a deeper analysis of the risks and consequence, then lessons learned. How consistency, tradition, nostalgia can be at odds with entrepreneurial spirit of innovation when moving from need to change.

For example, exploring the need for limited investment or scaling back of components for major corporations and industries to mom and pop shops with local flavor and charm, to the demand of uniformity that forsakes local personality, since expansion causes to fit everyone in a broad stoke, yet at the same time widens personal choice within that one size fits all approach in efforts to not offend anyone. Or address the greed and overconsumption, materialism, and gluttony found within scalability and how that not everything is or should be scalable. And where the compromise lies.

How to be agile and promote “there’s something for everyone” and staying relevant, while also being genuine, meeting specialized and local demand, and the longstanding needs of the mainstay, faithful customer base, and how to continue to meet their expectations in the process.

<a href="ericarobbin.com/do-bigger-things-a-practical-guide-to-powerful-innovation-in-a-changing-world-by-dan-mcclure-jennifer-wilde/">Blog post</a>

Do Bigger Things is about blending shared, efforts to deliver a complex result in a seemingly short amount of time. It can help people embrace big challenges to do big things. It presents ways to pursue bold ideas by applying the concepts explained. It's about working with diverse talent and knowledge to deal with what needs to be done.

Thank you for writing this book " do bigger things " I have come to realize that I was thinking about doing bigger things in the wrong way.

This was an interesting business book. Like many in the genre, it can get repetitive. I did appreciate the way the described and explained the new role that is emerging with ecosystem innovation, the choreographer. I think that is much more descriptive than, say, calling that role a project manager. Most PMs don’t think big enough or flexible enough for ecosystem innovation. It also made me think of how some places say they are innovative, but really they are iterative. It isn’t big picture innovation.

Do Bigger Things by Dan McClure and Jennifer Wilde is a refreshing paradigm shift in the realm of innovation literature. In a world where traditional approaches to innovation are proving inadequate in the face of rapid change, this book offers a compelling and actionable alternative.

Drawing on a diverse range of case studies and experiences, McClure and Wilde introduce the concept of ecosystem innovation, providing readers with a comprehensive framework for tackling complex challenges and achieving meaningful impact. Through engaging storytelling and practical insights, they empower readers to think bigger, set bolder goals, and design more effective solutions.

What sets Do Bigger Things apart is its emphasis on not just individual brilliance, but the power of collaboration and ecosystem thinking. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, a corporate leader, or an aspiring changemaker, this book equips you with the mindset and tools to navigate uncertainty and drive meaningful change.

Overall, Do Bigger Things is a must-read for anyone looking to break free from the constraints of traditional innovation practices and make a tangible difference in today's dynamic world. With its clear, step-by-step guidance and inspiring examples, it earns a solid four stars and a place on the bookshelf of every forward-thinking innovator.

If an organization, team, and professionals are going to thrive, DO BIGGER THINGS by Dan McClure and Jennifer Wilde presents a compelling case for how to manage and support genuine innovation. Throughout this smart guide, the reader is offered stories and suggestions for how approaches work or fail in delivering the true creativity and lasting productivity. I wish I'd had this guide when I worked for large organizations declaring a passion for innovation and advances but failed to support it and encourage the wildest, best ideas that would truly have made significant differences. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

This is an interesting book about how to shift your paradigm and look at the big picture and how this shift can help you achieve more. This looks at ecosystem innovation and how this pioneering concept can help change everything.

An interesting perspective into the process of managing workflow. While many of the points felt obvious, the unique mapping figures provided a new depth to this long popular business process.

I’m just starting a new role as a Chief Innovation Officer, so this title could not have been better timed. This book was so inspiring! I loved the example of Irina and her tutoring business, which brought the techniques to life in such a relatable way. My copy of this book will stay by my side as a trusted guide as I embark on my own ecosystem innovation journey.

Talking about innovation and adoption to new scenarios Of new technological reality is booming. We most Of the time know what to do however struggling with how to do things. Here lays the key to successful innovation. If you want to deliver an innovation, you need to challenge the change and be continuously fundamentally different. This book will provide you ideas and tips, scenarios and frameworks that can be applied to look at agile creativity in a new or different way. I liked the stories or examples that illustrated those simple concepts. There is innovation at your fingertips and we may miss out on it because we sometimes rotate in the same circle of ideas and routine.